Motor and compressor unit



Deg 28,1937. w m g E I 2,103,861

MOTOR AND COMPRESSOR UNIT Original Filed may 51. 1934. 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 97 96 I1 a 94 I i II a J 26 3O 26 Dec. 28, 1937.

L. W. MELCHER MOTOR AND COMPRESSOR UNIT Original Filed May 51, 1954 4 sheets-sheet 2 28, 1937. w. MELCHER MOTOR AND COMPRESS OR UNIT 4 Sheets-Shet 3 Dec. 28, 1937. L 'w. MELCHER MOTORAND COMPRESSOR UNIT Original Filed May 51, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 29/2 07 ,1 2k Mm Patented Dec. 28, 1937 MOTOR AND COMPRESSOR unrr Lee W. Melcher, Waukesha, Wis., assignor t Waukesha Motor Company, Waukesha, Wis.

Application May 31,- 1934, Serial No. 728,229

4 Renewed June 8, 1936 i Claims. (Cl. 230-56) The invention relates generally to motor and compressor units. More particularly the invention relatesto that type of motor and compressor unit which is designed forusc in a re-' 5 frigerating system.

One object of the invention is to provide a unit of this type in which the motor and compressor are constructed and arranged in such a manner that the unit is adapted to be placed in a small compartment in a refrigerator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a motor and compressor unit which is extremely efficient in operation and may be manufactured at a low cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unit of this type in which the compressor crank-case serves as a head or cover for one side of the motor crank-case and as a support for the crank-shaft and the cam-shaft of the motor.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present motor and compressor unit, will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description. The invention consists in, the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by' claims at the conclusion hereof. v

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of thepresent disclosure or specification and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in horizontal section of a unit embodying the invention;

.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the unit;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the motor; I

Fig, 4 is a vertical section through the com- '35, at the ratio of 2-1.

. 35 operates a spring-closed s'lidably mounted inpressor;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fi .4;

, Fig. 6 is a plan of the baseupon which the.

. motor and compressor are mounted; Fig. '7 is a; detail of the head for the cylinder of the compressor which carries the intake and exhaust valv'es;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9- -9 of Fig. '7;

'Fig.. 10 is a section through the condenser which forms a part of the unit;

Fig. 11 is ad end view of the motor cylinder and. carbureter; and

Fig. 11' is a view showing the speed governor which comprises a-valve for the fuel passing from the carbureter to the motor, and is operated or controlled by the air-stream from the fly-wheel.

The unit which forms the'subject matterof; the invention comprises an internal combustion 'en glue and acompressor, "-It is designed. for-:use 5' with a refrigerator and-embodies a hollow :oase

20 which serves as. a unitary supportfor the I motor and compressor. This base is preferably formed of acasting and is provided with corner lugs 2| having threaded sockets for bolts (not 10 1 shown) by which the base may be secured in a suitable place within the refrigerator or other place where'it is to be used. A chamber 22 is formed in the base 20 and is adapted to contain a supply of gasoline or other liquid fuel for opcrating the motor. At one of theends the base is provided with a filler spout 23 through which the fuel may be poured into the chamber 22. The spout is provided with a cap 24 for'closing it. The base 20 is provided with an integral ex- 20 tension 25 which serves as a bracket to which the crank case of the motor is secured.

The motor comprises a casing which is shaped to form, a crank-case 26 and a cylinder 28. The crank-case is secured to the extension 25 by 25 bolts 21. The cylinder 28 is integrally formed with the crank-case and projects from the upper portion of one side of-the crank-case as shown in Fig. 3. The outer end of the cylinder 28 is closed by a suitable head 29. In addition 30 to the casing the motor vcomprises a piston 30 slidably mounted in the cylinder 28, a shaft 3! provided with an integral crank 32, and a pitman 33 between the piston and said crank. The motor is of the four-cycle type in whicha power 5 stroke is imparted to the crank-shaft for each alternate stroke of the piston. A pinion 34 is' fixed to rotate with the crank-shaft 3i and serves to drive a gear 36 which is fixed to a cam-shaft A cam 31 on the shaft 40 take valve 38 which controls the delivery of fuel vapor from a carbureter 40. The latter is connected to an intake duct 4| for the firing chamber 42 in the cylinder head 29. A cam 43 inte- 45 the closure springs for the valves and is normally closed by a removable head 46 which 55 permits access to the chamber for adjustment of the springs. The valve 44 controls the flow of the products of combustion to an exhaust duct 41 which is formed in an integral part of the crank-case and may, if desired, be connected to a suitable exhaust pipe for carrying off the products of combustion. A spark plug 48 is mounted in the cylinder head 29 to fire the charge of combustible mixture in the firing chamber 42. The cylinder 28 and cylinder head 29 are provided with cooling ribs 48. The outer side of the crank-case 2B is formed with an opening 50 which is closed by a removable head 5| to provide access to the crank-shaft 3|. A breather duct 52 is formed in the head 5| and is provided with ribs 53 to prevent the oil in the crank-case from being splashed out of the breather duct.

The filler spout 23 on top of the gasoline tank is also provided with a vertical duct 25*- which communicates with a lateral duct 25* in the base 20 to deliver lubricating oil to the crank-case. The duct 25*- terminates in an upwardly extending duct 25 which communicates with an opening 25 in the bottom wall of the crank-case 28 to provide means for keeping the oil chamber in said crank-case filled with oil at the proper level to lubricate the motor.

The compressor comprises an integral crankcase 54 and cylinder 55. The inner sideof the motor crank-case has an opening 26 The compressor crank-case 54 fits against the inner side of the crank-case 26 of the motor and closes said opening 26 Crank-case 54 is secured to crankcase 26 by bolts 56 which pass through mating flanges at the contiguous faces of said crankcases. The inner bearing for the motor crankshaft is mounted in the inner side wall 51 of the compressor crank-case. The cam-shaft 35 which operates the intake and exhaust valves of the motor extends laterally through the integral side wall 5! of the compressor crank-case 54, to operate the compressor. The cam-shaft 35 is journalled in a bearing 58 in the outer side wall of the motor crank-case 26 and in an anti-friction bearing 59 carried in the inner side wall 51 of the compressor crank-case 54. A suitable bellows seal 60 is provided between the cam-shaft 3.5 and the wall 5| of the compressor crank-,case to prevent leakage of refrigerant from the com- Dressor crank-case 54 to the motor crank-case. The outer side of the compressor crank-case 54 is provided with a. removable cover plate 6| to provide access to the interior of that case. The compressor comprises a piston 62 slidably mounted in the cylinder 55, an eccentric 83 keyed to the cam-shaft 35, and a connecting rod 84 between the piston 62 and said eccentric. This exemplifies a combined motor and compressor unit in which the compressor is operated from the cam-shaft of the motor at a ratio of 1 to 2, so that a speed reduction of the compressor is effected without providing special speed reducing. mechanism between the motor and the compressor. It also exemplifies a combined motor and compressor unit in which an integral motor cylinder and crank-case and an integral compressor cylinder and crank-case are compactly disposed to effect economy in space.

The low side 65 of the refrigerant line is connected through a suitable regulatingvalve 86 to' a duct 61 which delivers the refrigerant into the compressor crank-case. A valve head 68 is fitted against the outer end of the compressor cylinder 55 and is secured in place by a removable closure head 69 which is secured to the cylinder by.

bolts 18. An intake duct 1| (Fig. 4) is formed in an integral portion of the cylinder and crankcase of the compressor to conduct low pressure refrigerant from the chamber in the crank-case 54 to a chamber 12 in the valve head 68. A port 13 leads from chamber 12 to the outer face of the valve head 68. A leaf-spring check valve 14 is fixed by screws 15 to the outer face of the head 68 and normally closes the duct 13. A port 16 extends through head 68 to deliver low pressure refrigerant into the cylinder 54. A gasket TI is interposed between the outer face-of valve head 68 and the head 69 and is provided with an opening f|8 which forms a space. between said heads for the valve 14 and the flow of refrigerant from port 13 to port 15. The head 68 has an exhaust port 79 leading from the compressor cylinder and communicating with an opening 80 in the gasket H. A leaf-spring check valve 8| for duct I9 is secured by screws 82 to the outer face of head 68 and is disposed in the opening 80 to permit the outflow of high pressure refrigerant through port 19 from the cylinder 54. An exhaust duct 83 extends through the head 11 from opening 88 and communicates with a duct 84, to which the high pressure side of the refrigerant line is connected through a suitable regulating valve 86.

The high pressure line 85 is connected with a condenser which is mounted on top of the motor crank-case to cool the refrigerant. This condenser comprises a coil of pipe 81 which is con- .\tained in a box 88. Angle iron brackets 89 are welded to the sides and bottom of the box and these brackets are secured by bolts 90 to the motor crank-case. The invention contemplates cooling the condenser by means of a blast of air from the fiy-wheel and for that purpose one end of the box 88 is cut away to form a segmental opening 9| conforming to the periphery of the fly-wheel so that the current of air from the fly-wheel will be projected through the box 88 and around the condenser coil 81. The other end of the box 88 is open for the escape of air after it has passed around the coil. The coil 81 consists preferably of a connected series of loops, the entire series extending obliquely downward from the top of box 88 at the inlet side to the bottom of the box adjacent the outlet side of the box. The box 88 serves as a tunnel for the air from the fiy-wheel which confines the blast so that it will contact with the coil and efliciently cool the refrigerant in the coil as it flows therethrough. The loops are supported in frames 92 which are fitted and secured in the box 88. The inlet of the condenser is suitably connected to the high pressure refrigerant line 85. The outlet of the condenser coil is connected by a pipe to a refrigerant receiver 93 which is mounted at one end of the supporting base 20. The receiver is connected by a pipe line to the evaporating coil, as well understood in the art, usually through a suitable expansion valve.

In the. arrangement and mounting exhibited the motor cylinder 28 is horizontally disposed at one side of the crank-shaft, the compressor cylinder at the other side, and the condenser above both crank-cases. A fly-Wheel 94 is fixed to one end of the crank-shaft 3| which is extended outside of'the motor crank-case. The fly-wheel 94 comprises a hub 85, arim 96, and blades or spokes 81 which extend between the rim and a flange 88 integral with the hub and are inclined relatively to the axis of rotation to draw air from the outer side the fly-wheel and force it inwardly thereof longitudinally of the axis of said wheel. As a result of this arrangement the upper portion of the fiy-wheel will force a stream of air through the opening 9| in the side of the box 88 to cool the condenser; one side portion of the fly-wheel will forcev a stream of air into contact with and ,around the motor cylinder 28; and the other side of, the fly-wheel willforce a stream of air into contact with and around the compressor cylinder 54. These three streams of air will efliciently 'cool the motor, the compressor, and the con-.

denser. This results from the arrangement of the" motor cylinder, compressor cylinder, and condenser and makes it possible to compact these parts so that they can be placed in a small space or area.

In starting the motor it is desirable to by-pass the low pressure refrigerant in the compressor until the motor has acquired sufficient speed and power to operate the compressor. For this purpose a device is provided for holding open the intake check valve I4 which controls theflow of refrigerant into the compressor cylinder 55 so that the fluid drawn into the cylinder during the intake stroke can flow back to the chamber in the compressor crank-case. This device consists of a valve shifter 99 which is slidably-mounted in the valve head 68, a diaphragm I00 which is clamped between a nipple on said head and a screw'cap IIII, a screw I 02 threaded to the cap IIlI and fixed to a rod I03, and a' handle I04 fixed to rod I03 and disposed at the front side of the unit, The rod I03 is guided in 2, lug. I05 formed on the outer side of the compressor crankcase. In starting the unit the operator will turn the handle I04 which willrotate the screw I02 and force the diaphragm I00 into position to move the valve shifter 99 so as to hold the intake valve I4 in its open position to render the compressor ineffective to force the refrigerant to the high pressure side of the refrigerant line. After the motor has been started the operator will rotate the handle I04 in reverse direction so the valve 14 will be released to close the intake port I3 during compressor piston, so that the piston will thereafter. compress each charge drawn into the cylinder 55 and force it to the high pressure side of the refrigerant line.

The unit comprises in addition to the motor, compressor and condenser means for governing the fuel vapor passing from the carbureter to the motor-cylinder to maintain a substantially constant predetermined speed of the motor. For this purpose the outlet side of the carbureter 40 contains a butterfly valve IIO on a shaft H0 which extends to the outside of the carbureter and has fixed tonne of its ends an arm III. A spring I I2 is applied to the arm to normally hold the valve H0 in its-open position. A series of holes is provided inthe arm'III and also in a plate I I3'to which the ends of the springs are respectively connected. By varying the connections of the ends of the spring with these holes, the tension of the spring may be varied as desired. A vane H4 or baflle is fixed to other projecting ends of the shaft H0 .of valve H0 and is located in the air-stream produced by the vanes 91 of the fly-wheel 94. These vanes 91 are adapted tozsp'read' the air-stream issuing longitudinally from the fly-wheel, so that the stream will strike the vane I I I and shift it, in degree, responsively to variationof pressure of the airstream which results from speed changes of the motor. When the speed of the motor increases pinion 34 and gear 35 to the pressure stroke of the v above the speed desired, the pressure of the airstream will swing the vane Ill and effect a degree of closing of the butterfly valve H2 according to speed increase of the motor.- As the valve H0 is thus shifted, it will reduce the volume of the combustible fluid entering the motor cylinder from the carbureter and thus govern the speed of the motor. By changingthe tension of the spring H2, the speed regulation may be varied as desired. It will be understood that the carbureter is additionally provided with the usual manually controlled throttle adjacent the end at which the air-"enters the carbureter casing. This construction exemplifies a governor device for the fuel passing-from the carburetor to the motor, which is operated or controlled by the air-stream from the fly-wheel, which also serves to cool the motor, compressor and condenser. I In operation, the motor will be supplied with combustible mixture from the carbureter (40) which receives gasoline from the chamber 22 in the base 20. The intake'valve 38 and the exhaust valve 44 of the motor'will be operated by the cams 3! and 43, respectively, on the camshaft 35. which makes one revolution to two revolutions of the crank-shaft, being driven through produce a four-cycle operation. During operation of the motor the piston 62 in the cylinder of the compressor is reciprocated and the refrigerant is compressed and delivered to the condenser.

a compressor which is operated directly from the cam-shaft of the internal combustion motor so that additional reduction gearing to drive the compressor at one-half the motor speed is dispensed with; (2) a condenser for the refrigerant which is compactly associated with-the compressor and motor; (3) a base which is utilized as a gasoline or fuel tank; and (4) means for rendering the compressor ineffective when the internal combustion motor is being started and until it acquires suflicient speed to carry the load of the compressor.

The invention is not to be understood as rebe modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

I. In a motor and compressor unit of the character described, the combination of a base provided with a reservoir for liquid fuel and also provided with an integral side extension; an internal combustion motor comprising a casing em bodying a cylinder and a crank case joined to the cylinder and fitting on and secured to the top of the side extension; acompressor comprising a casing-secured to one side of the motor casing and overlying and spaced from the reservoir; and a shaft extending from the crank-case of the motor easing into the compressor casing for driving the compressor from the motor.

2. In a motor and compressor unit of the character described, the combination of a base pro vided with a reservoir for liquid fuel and also provided with an integral side extension; an in- As previously pointed out the flywheel with the blades or spokes 91 stricted to the details set forth since these may Ill) case for driving the piston.

3. In a motor and compressor unit of the character described, the combination of an elongated base provided with a reservoir for fuel and also provided with an integral side extension at one end thereof and a filler spout at its other end for introducing fuel into the reservoir; an internal combustion motor comprising a casing embodying a cylinder and a crank case joined to the cylinder and fitting on and secured to the top of said side extension; a compressor positioned over and spaced from said one end of the base and comprising a casing fitting against and secured to the inner portion of the motor crank case; and a shaft extending from the crank case of the motor into the compressor casing for driving the compressor from the motor.

4. In a motor and compressor unit of the character described, the combination of an internal combustion motor comprising a casing with a crank-case and a cylinder extending outwardly in one direction from the cm k-case, and a crank-shaft journalled in the 'crank-case; a compressor arranged in side by side relation with and driven by. the motor and comprising a casing with a crank-case and a cylinder extending in the opposite direction; and a fly-wheel on the crank-shaft of the motor provided with vanes positioned to force air to the motor-cylinder. and the compressor-cylinder.

'5. In a motor and compressor unit of the character described, the combination of an internal combustion motor comprising a casing having a crank case with an open end and a crank shaft having one end thereof. journaled in the crank case and its other end extending through the open end of the latter; a compressor comprising a casing embodying a cylinder with a. piston therein, and a crank-case secured directly to the crank-case of the motor casing and provided with an integral wall for closing the aforesaid opening, and a bearing fixed within and carried by said wall and forming a journal for the other end of the crank shaft; and means for operating the compressor-piston, comprising a motor driven shaft extending from the motor crank-case through said wall and into the compressor crank-case, and a crank element on the portion of said last motor driven shaft that is within the compressor crank case.

LEE W. 'MELCHER. 

